Chapter 3 No.3

I took out my cavity-resonator. Might as well give it a try.

Now let me tell you about this little gizmo. It sends out radar waves of a kind that, when they hit a cavity, begin resonating and sending back some sort of standing wave that my resonator then picks up. By triangulation I find the cavity. Great for finding hidden compartments not much bigger than a bread-box. Just about useless, though, for a room of many doors type situation.

I made it myself.

I spent about five minutes scanning the room, finding all manner of drawers, closets, and what-not. It takes time to find and cancel out the stuff that I know is there.

Ah! What's this? A reading off of the back of the inside of a desk drawer. I felt around in there and finally found a catch.

The compartment produced some papers; general info concerning the Pan African League, the half of Africa with all the money. Just public-realm stuff; nothing big. But, why hide it? I pocketed the papers and my resonator and left the room.

She was there waiting for me as soon as I'd come out of Kaver's room. She smiled at me and came up beside me as I tried to edge my way across the living room.

"You know, Inssspector, you needn't leave just yet, " she purred. "With my husband gone, we can take our time."

She began to blow in my ear and put an arm around my waist.

Some faithful wife! Maybe she married Kaver for his money?

"I have some other official business I need to attend to just now." I removed her paws from their exploratory around my waist. "I really must go."

I draw the line at married gals. So, I quickly headed across the room and out the door, her following close behind me. I left her with a pout on her face and just barely managed to get Tango going; low battery and all.

Whew! I escaped! I settled down to drive in peace.

It was five minutes into my trip before it hit me.

Her words "with my husband gone" rang around in my ears. I hadn't told her- but she knew; and she was a bit playful for someone's wife.

I broke three traffic laws on my way back to Kaver's.

I pounded on the door.

No answer.

The door lock was a four digit combo. No time for that, I did the most intelligent and expedient thing available. I kicked at the door.

And almost broke my foot; darn steel security doors. I went back to the car and brought back my lock-decoder and affixed it to the keypad. Delays!

Five minutes later I was in. Empty of course! No wife, no nothing!

Except for the two stiffs both laid out on the couch directly facing the front door. Kaver and another three-day-old corpse; his partner, one might assume.

I smelled a rat, or rather a manx. So, I decided to break the four-minute mile back to Tango, wiping my fingerprints off behind me.

This time Tango wouldn't start at all. I knew I'd drained the battery too much.

"Shit!"

Sirens sounded in the distance.

I knew I'd have to hoof it, so I got out my wallet.

It's here someplace.

She did have her hands all over me.

The sirens got louder as it came my way.

My ID was in my wallet.

Two bodies, battery dead, no ID or wallet, and sirens coming my way, no doubt from an anonymous tip-off.

It was going to be a long day before I got back to the office.

And the chief wasn't going to like this.

***

"What do you do to get into this much trouble!" the old badger yelled. "And bringing the department in on it, as if we don't have enough disrespect already!"

The boss was definitely not taking this well.

Papers went flying as he whipped a paw across the desk. "Lost ID, a mix up with the Metros, not to mention a fight."

My nose still hurts.

"And two bodies, " he finished with an exasperated sigh.

He heaved his 300 pounds of badger bulk around, frustrating the temerity of the balance servos in his chair.

I'd spent four hours trying to convince the Metros that I wasn't a murderer, or Loon (apologies again to the Bird Federation), or both. After that I'd spent 48 hours in a Metro-pit with a bunch of dregs, sluts, and thugs; the food was less than edible, and if I'd slept I probably wouldn't have woken up. All in all a definite low for my biorhythm.

"I was set up when I went to investigate this case."

"What case!? There's nothing here that need concern InterSpec! Now, go back to your office and drop this whole thing! And don't come back until you actually have a case on something!"

He slammed the door after me.

Naturally I wasn't about to drop it; my honor was at stake.

I took the papers that I got from Kaver's and went back down to my office. Secretarial eyes followed me out. I ignored them.

I came to my office. Calico was at her desk trying on some new perfume; pheromone scented, I think.

"You okay, Henry?" she batted an innocent concerned look at me.